Celebrations

The day and the night are the same length at this point. 
At Little Squirrels we will celebrate by collecting and making leaf decorations to take home.

This falls half way between Summer and Winter Solistice, during the Harvest season. 
The festival is accompanied by the story of Saint Michael who fights and overcomes a dragon. It is a festival of courage and overcoming challenges.

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In Autumn, fruits ripen as days grow shorter and the plant world seems to die. The darkening days can be a challenging time. Can we keep our inner lights alive? Can we step into the darkening days with courage?

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This is jointly celebrated with our Harvest festival of Thanks.

This festival celebration marks the half way point between Michaelmas and Christmas.

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The story that accompanies this celebration is about St Martin who cuts his cloak in half in order to share it with a beggar who would otherwise go cold. This charitable gesture is what epitomises this celebration. 
We celebrate the festival by making lanterns. Within the lantern is a flame, we protect the light by "cloaking" it with a lantern. This helps support the flame to stay strong in darkness. We then carry this light into the darkness outside by going for a walk. 
It's a festival where sharing and giving to others is encouraged.

A spiral walk of greenery, where candles are lit to show the way. Bringing light and hope to dark days. At Little Squirrels this will be celebrated. This special quiet, contemplative event starts with a story. Once the story has come to an end children are encouraged to stay quiet. We will have a spiral of greenery laid out with a lantern in the centre. Children are given a candle with which they walk to the centre to light it. They then place the candle on the greenery. 
Quiet music and singing accompanies their walk. Slowly as more candles are added the space lights up. 
Children can take their candle home afterwards to light at home and brighten the dark days.

As Anne is Dutch, we celebrate this Dutch festival with the story of St Nicholas who on his birthday gave presents of fruit and nuts and coins to those in the local villages. A small surprise gift will await the children on their arrival.

This is celebrated on the 4 Sundays building up to Christmas. Each week, new items will be joining the classroom decorations and the season table and a wreath with 4 candles will have one extra candle burning each week. 
The first Advent welcomes the mineral Kingdom. The basis of everything, rocks, soil, stones and crystals. 
The second week of Advent, plant Kingdom is the focus, bushes, flower, trees and plants are welcomed. 
The third week it's the animals which join
The fourth week it's humans, this is when the Nativity scene will be set up.

This marks the darkest time. 
The day is at its shortest and the night at it's longest. 
At Little Squirrels we will mark it by playing in the woods in the early evening darkness. Torches and lanterns will lighten the way.

Christmas will be celebrated by many families at home. We will mark it with gift boxes for the staff which parents are asked to add small token gifts to such as home baked goodies, crafts or small purchased gifts of under £5.
Children will be given a small gift made by the staff team, to open at home.

Also known as 12th night as it is celebrated 12 nights after Christmas. 
Traditionally a time when the three Kings are said to have arrived to visit baby Jesus in the manger and bring him gifts. At Little Squirrels it will be celebrated by sharing a special cake. Inside the cake are three small surprises. The children who find these are allowed to dress up as Kings for the day.

This marks the middle of Winter, exactly between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. 
We celebrate by bringing light to the Earth, warming it to help new growth arrive for Spring. At Little Squirrels we celebrate by  making candles which will be placed in nature and lit for us whilst we listen to a story.

This marks the official start of Spring, day and night are the same length. At Little Squirrels we will mark this by decorating with Spring flowers. Each child will be given a bunch to take home.

Spring and new birth are marked at this festival. The eggs being a sign of fertility and new growth. 
At Little Squirrels we celebrate by hosting Easter egg hunts, little chocolate gifts and enjoying songs about the Easter bunny.

A day of celebrations, songs and dancing to mark the arrival of Spring. Traditionally a Bank holiday so will be marked at Little Squirrels by doing maypole dancing and sharing food, wearing flowers in our hair or buttonholes.

This marks the Summer solstice where the sun (in the UK) has reached its highest point. The day is the longest and the night is the shortest. 
At Little Squirrels we celebrate around the bonfire, with songs, dances, music (feel free to bring instruments) and Summer food picnics.

Additional celebrations will be marked if families request it.

Are you attending a session on your birthday or want to celebrate with us? Simply let our staff know and we will bring a sweet treat, candles and share a special birthday story.

Contact us using the details below.